Beets a Cafeteria Lunch

Like any job, mine has it's pros & cons. One of the advantages is that my boss sometimes allows me to work from home. I like to use days like that to make myself a light lunch, knowing that it's better than what my coworkers are eating in the cafeteria. Recently, I was working from home and made a roasted beet, avocado salad with horseradish dressing. I got the recipe from Serious Eats and made a minor change. This was a summer salad for people who don't want to turn their stoves on. It's currently winter & we can all use the extra warmth.

Beet, Avocado Horseradish Salad
(original recipe available here)
2 medium beets, peeled and grated
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated horseradish
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Avocado
lemon juice
water
salt & pepper

Sautee beets in vegetable oil until soft.
Mix horseradish, vinegar & olive oil in a jar. Set aside.
Slice avocado. Place in bowl, cover with lemon juice & water to prevent from getting brown.
Arrange soft beets on 2 plates, place 1/2 avocado on each serving. Shake jar of dressing again, pour over top, add salt & pepper to taste.

Quick lunch with lots of room for a proper dinner. And the horseradish & warm beets make me almost forget how cold it is outside.

Shots of Summer Borscht

It's summer. Because I say so. No, it's rainy and ridiculously humid today, so I imagine it must be Monsoon season in Germany. It happens. There are hot humid days when everyone and everything is sticky, and then it rains and stays gray for a while. It's a summer thing.

I was just at the market and I saw beets. Normally, I think of beets in winter but to be honest, what really grows in winter? Frost? Yes. Root vegtables? I'm not so sure.

In winter, I make a seriously mean borscht. It takes over 16 hours and involves me being the weirdo in the butcher shop asking for bones (based on the facial expression of the woman working there, I think this is not a frequent request). It's sticky outside, there is no way I'm leaving the stove on for 16 hours, I'm making a summer borscht.

Summer Borscht

500g beets, peeled & cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 L chicken stock
3 Tbsp lemon juice
yogurt
dill

In a big pot, sautee garlic & onions in olive oil. Add beets. Stir around for a few minutes, coating beets. Add stock. Cover pot, bring to boil. Turn down heat & allow to simmer for 30 minutes, or until beets are cooked through. Puree soup & chill. Garnish with yogurt & dill.

For a clear soup, cut beets into thin slices & do not puree.

Normally, I could drink liters of soup. Shot glasses keep me in check so I don't eat so much soup that I'm sick. It's also a fun way to serve appetizers. I mean, who doesn't like doing shots?